Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 18 april 2017

Residents nervously watch Americas’ oldest city gentrifying

200 colonial-era facades, city in a different way” than
replace water mains and in past attempts, said Ma-
street lighting and install ribel Villalona, the head of
new sidewalks. More pri- the program.
vate business is already The colonization of the
moving in, with some 325 Americas began in San-
new cafes, restaurants, to Domingo, which was
galleries and luxury condo- founded in 1496 by Chris-
miniums opening in the co- topher Columbus’ brother
lonial center over the past Bartolome and features
five years, according to of- the continent’s first cathe-
ficial figures. dral, first hospital and first
The center is “a diamond university. The center was
that needs polishing,” said abandoned by many after
Silvanh Riedel, manager the country’s 1965 civil war,
and part-owner of the Bil- with more prosperous resi-
lini boutique hotel. Angelo dents moving to new de-
Louis, a 19-year-old bar- velopments on the outskirts
ber, rents a 90-square-foot of the capital.
(8.4-square-meter) space To celebrate the 500th an-
without a bathroom in cen- niversary of Columbus’
turies-old El Conde street arrival in the Americas,
for $350 a month, and has some of the center’s lime-
People walk on El Conde street in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. to leave because the pri- stone buildings with scenic
Santo Domingo, Latin America’s oldest colonial city is aiming for a rebound, financing millions vately owned building will wooden balconies were re-
of dollars in renovations.
(AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez) be restored with public stored in 1992, but the pro-
money in coming months. gram did little to improve
EZEQUIEL BLANCO beach and more in the association. “It seems like He said he fears that the the economic fortunes of
Associated Press capital’s long-neglected the aim is for us, the resi- owner of the remodeled the area or draw more of
SANTO DOMINGO, Domini- historic center. dents, to leave.” buildings will raise the rent the Dominican Republic’s
can Republic (AP) — Latin Business owners are delight- The city’s most ambitious and make it impossible for tourists. According to gov-
America’s oldest colonial ed, but residents of Santo restoration project in de- him to move back. ernment statistics, only 15
city is aiming for a rebound, Domingo’s walled city are cades is funded by a $120 “It’s going to hit us hard,” percent of visitors to the
pouring tens of millions of watching nervously, fear- million loan from the Inter- he said. The program’s ad- Dominican Republic spent
dollars into repairing streets, ful that they will be priced American Development vocates say such fears are time in Santo Domingo and
cleaning up trash, installing out by a surge of stylish new Bank, most of which still misplaced, and the gov- only 3 percent slept there,
streetlights and renovat- restaurants and boutiques. must be approved by the ernment is dedicated to drawn away by all-includ-
ing centuries-old buildings “Bringing more tourists here Dominican Republic’s con- creating not just economic ed packages at beach re-
in hopes of getting more can be traumatic for us,” gress. development, but better sorts and dissuaded by the
of the Dominican Repub- said Pedro del Castillo, the The first $30 million in devel- lives for residents of the co- lack of high-quality lodg-
lic’s 5 million tourists a year 67-year-old president of the opment money has gone lonial center. ing inside Santo Domingo’s
to spend less time at the neighborhood’s residents’ to paint 800 homes, restore “The idea is to rescue the walled city.q

US to Puerto Rico: Add another option to status referendum

DANICA COTO status as an option. “(The ballot) is not drafted pro-statehood party. options: independence,
Associated Press Rossello had submitted in a way that ensures that “This has a monumental territoriality or statehood.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) a draft of the ballot that its result will accurately re- impact on the plebiscite,” Legislators expect to vote
— Puerto Ricans who want only included two options: flect the current popular Hector Ferrer, president of on the amended ballot
their island to remain a U.S. statehood or indepen- will of the people of Puerto the main opposition party next week.
territory got a boost from dence/free association. If a Rico,” the letter stated. that supports the status “Although it’s an insult to
the administration of Presi- majority chose the latter, a The Justice Department quo, said in a phone inter- offer Puerto Ricans the op-
dent Donald Trump. second referendum would also said the draft contains view. “ tion of colonialism to re-
The federal Department of be held in October and ambiguous and potential- Rossello recently cam- solve the serious problems
Justice late last week said would ask voters to choose ly misleading statements, paigned on a pledge to we face, the opportunity to
in a letter addressed to between the two. and that it cannot provide secure statehood and said hold a plebiscite endorsed
Gov. Ricardo Rossello that The Department of Jus- $2.5 million in federal funds late Thursday that he still by the federal government
an upcoming referendum tice said that kind of bal- to hold the referendum as plans to hold the referen- is worth taking this step for-
to decide the future of lot would raise questions proposed. dum on June 11. He said ward for the benefit of the
Puerto Rico’s political status about the vote’s legitima- The announcement is con- it would be a binding one people of Puerto Rico,” he
should include the current cy. sidered a blow to Rossello’s that would include three said.q